FierceHealthcareFor every hour physicians spend in exam room visits with patients, they spend nearly two hours on electronic health record and desk work during office hours, a new study funded by the American Medical Association finds. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, used trained observers to document how 57 U.S. physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology and orthopedics spent their time. In addition, 21 of them completed after-hours diaries.READ MORE

Kaiser Health NewsDespite much hand-wringing about health insurers exiting the marketplaces where people buy individual coverage, in many areas consumers will likely still have a choice of plans when the 2017 open enrollment starts in November. Aiming to make picking a plan easier, the federal government, which runs the marketplaces in roughly two-thirds of states, is encouraging insurers to offer "simple choice plans" as an option this fall.READ MORE

FierceHealthcareSaving enough money to retire tops the list of physicians' financial concerns, but almost 40 percent consider themselves behind the curve on their savings, according to a new survey. AMA Insurance polled practicing physicians in the United States on their financial preparedness via a survey encompassing 2,331 individuals of diverse ages, specialties and practice environment.READ MORE

Kaiser Health NewsThis year, taxpayers will cover about 70 percent of what is spent on healthcare in California, according to a new analysis released recently by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Many people assume that the U.S. health care system is primarily supported by private dollars, such as insurance premiums from employer-based coverage, said Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the study's lead author.READ MORE

FierceHealthcareDoctors and nurses are in the business of healing patients, but sometimes they can be the victims of violence at the hands of their patients. One way to head off violent situation with patients is to set expectations from the start, according to Linda Girgis, M.D., a South River, New Jersey, family physician.READ MORE

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center via ScienceDailyA new way to identify which prostate cancer patients are likely to develop aggressive types of the disease, even if their tumors at first appear to be lower risk, has been created by investigators. The new findings could help physicians prescribe the most effective treatments for each patient based on how genes are activated in the individual tumor.READ MORE

BMJ via HealthDay NewsAtrial fibrillation, a common type of heart rhythm disorder, is associated with a wider range of conditions than previously believed, researchers report. The findings add "to the growing literature on the association between atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular outcomes beyond stroke," researchers at the University of Oxford in England and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote.READ MORE

Kaiser Health News via FierceHealthcareState Sen. Ed Hernandez, an optometrist who chairs the California Senate Health Committee, is author of a newly enacted state law that aims to improve provider directories, long riddled with out-of-date and inaccurate information. Under the law, insurance companies — and healthcare providers — must comply with new requirements to keep directories updated at least every quarter.READ MORE

California HealthlineEarlier this year, Laurie Kirkland of Laguna Beach was taken by surprise when she received medical bills for her husband's spinal surgeries. Their Blue Shield insurance deductible had been met, and the surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was in-network. The bills, she soon found out, were from an assistant surgeon who was out-of-network, meaning the surgeon had no contract with their insurer. Kirkland and her husband faced $9,000 in charges. Legislation designed to protect Californians like the Kirklands from surprise medical bills could be considered in the state Senate.READ MORE

The Associated Press via KRON-TVCalifornia lawmakers are sending Gov. Jerry Brown legislation that would require health insurance plans to notify customers if state regulators have deemed their premiums unreasonable. The bill cleared the state Senate in a 25-12 vote on Wednesday, Aug. 24. California regulators review proposed health plan rates each year for companies that sell directly to individuals or small businesses. The regulators have no power to reject prices they consider unreasonable or unjustified but can publicly label them as such.READ MORE

California HealthlineTwo proposals meant to ease burdens faced by California’s rural patients and their healthcare providers are breezing through the state legislature as lawmakers finish up for the year. One measure passed requires Medi-Cal to cover patients’ transportation to medical appointments. Another bill would allow small rural hospitals to hire doctors directly, which supporters say could reduce health care costs and make it easier to keep physicians in areas where there are few. To get to the governor’s desk, the hospital employment measure would need to pass the Senate and go back for a second Assembly floor vote before Aug. 31.READ MORE